Philomela Women’s Choir satisfies with glorious food

Sink your teeth into a concert of choral repertoire throughout the ages on the topic of food with the University of Victoria Philomela Women’s Choir led by Mary Kennedy.

From the renaissance round, Hey, Ho, Nobody’s at Home to Bartok’s Bread Baking, to a commissioned suite of children’s songs about food by composer Ben Bolden, to familiar jazz pieces Java Jive and Chili Con Carne, Food Glorious Food is set to make your mouth water.

Special guest Louise Rose will accompany the choir in a commissioned arrangement of the spiritual I’m gonna sit at the welcome table. Rose, who received an honorary doctorate from UVic in 2000, has been a friend and mentor of Kennedy for many years.

The concert will also offer an opportunity for the audience to join with the singers in a trio of popular songs about food.

“We can’t divulge the titles,” says Kennedy. “You’ll just have to buy a ticket to find out.”

Of special note at this concert will be the addition of a group of male choristers who will join with the women in the Champagne Chorus from Die Feldermaus.

Audience members are encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable food to the concert, which is a fundraiser for Our Place.

Don Evans, Our Place executive director, will be on hand to speak about the work of the society and receive tax-deductible monetary donations.

To further support the work of Our Place, there will be a raffle for a sushi-making workshop hosted by chef Takumi Kitamura.

The concert takes place on April 1 at 2:30 p.m. in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall in the music wing of the MacLaurin Building at the university. Tickets, $12 in advance or $15 at the door, are available through the University Centre Box Office by phone, 250-721-8480 or online at auditorium.uvic.ca/tickets.